The present invention relates to a mounting bracket by means of which portable telephones can be mounted in motor vehicles, primarily cars.
There are at present available many types of mounting brackets which are of elongated configuration, provided with bends and made of sheet material, preferably plastic material, such as ABS-plastic. The design of the various mounting brackets available is determined by the configuration of the interior design of the vehicle for which the mounting bracket is intended. Actually, in the majority of cases the design and configuration of the instrument panel or dashboard is paramount in determining the configuration of the mounting bracket.
Such mounting brackets include a flat part, from which there extend an upper and a lower arm. The ends of the arms are intended to be fitted into slots in the instrument panel, or into the air-intake located on top of the instrument panel, such as to enable the mounting bracket to be secured by the ends of said arms. The cradle which supports the telephone handset or receiver is secured to the flat part of the mounting, with the aid of screws or like fasteners.
When installed in the vehicle, a mounting bracket of this kind will protrude outwardly from the instrument panel, and the bracket is generally fitted relative close to the driving seat, so that the handset is within easy and comfortable reach of the driver. The cradle and handset, or telephone receiver, themselves protrude from the mounting bracket, in towards the vehicle interior.
Vehicle installations such as these present, to some extend, a hazard to personal safety within the vehicle. In the case of some vehicle models, it is possible to fit the mounting bracket, together with the telephone set, so as not to encroach on vehicle safety, whereas in the case of other vehicle models, the installation of such telephone mounting brackets presents a significant hazard to safety within the vehicle.